Daily NK [DNK]: Please introduce yourself.
Mr. Kim [Kim]: My name is Kim Young Jun (pseudonym) and I arrived in South Korea in August 2010. After two years of studying and working, I’m now working as a student coordinator at Un Jung Elementary School. My primary task is to help North Korean defector children keep up with their school studies and facilitate their adjustment to society. Our school alone has 42 such children. Because these children and their parents are unfamiliar with the South Korean education system, they understandably have a hard time adjusting. So I provide them with information and sometimes teach those who lack even the most fundamental knowledge. For students who have psychological problems, I connect them with a psychologist. Helping students create a brighter future for themselves is such great and rewarding work.
DNK: How did you decide on this career path?
Kim: I also worked as a teacher in North Korea and taught physical education to middle and high school students. When I was looking for work opportunities in South Korea, my previous experience gave me the confidence to apply for another job working with students. I particularly wanted to help defector children. So when I saw the posting, I applied for it with the assistance of the Hana Foundation.
DNK: As you were a teacher in North Korea, you probably had a relatively comfortable life. Why did you decide to escape?
Kim: A currency reform took place in November 2009 and I consequently lost all my savings. I even had to close the business that I was running on the side. On top of this, my family members had already gone to the South before me, and when the authorities found out about this, my family background was downgraded and I was no longer permitted to work as a teacher. In the North, I had wanted to become a school principal, but thought instead that I should be a dutiful son and so I traveled through China and Taiwan to come to SK with the help of my family members.
DNK: Adjusting to life in in the South must have been a bit easier since you had family members who had already made it over here.
Kim: It was not that simple. At first, life was too stressful and I turned to drinking every day. But thinking about my family helped me to get myself together. I risked my life to come here and I knew that if I failed to adjust, it would become a great burden to them. I also thought about the North Korean saying that a person should be loyal to the state and dutiful to their parents. My long service in the North Korean army was also probably helpful in terms of giving me willpower.
The first place I worked at in South Korea was an electronics company. Work was not easy. Perhaps it was because I was used to teaching and not used to working in a group. I once handed a report to my boss while sitting and was berated for being rude. Being berated in front of my coworkers was especially demeaning. In North Korea, handing a report to a senior while sitting (instead of standing) wouldn’t be considered rude.
Learning to use a computer was also difficult. My task was to keep track of inventory, which meant I had to learn how to use Excel. Although I was complimented on my work later on, learning was initially very hard. As I went through these hardships, the idea of teaching returned to me. After much thought, I decided to turn to the kind of work that I wanted to do, and so began studying to become a teacher.
DNK: It’s good to hear that you now enjoy your work. Since you have taught both South and North Korean students, what can you tell us about the differences between the two?
Teaching elementary students here is harder than teaching middle school students, as I had done in North Korea. For one, elementary students are obviously less mature and require closer attention. More to the point, it was a culture shock to see South Korean students fall asleep while the teacher is teaching, or to make jokes about the teacher. Such things are unimaginable in the North. North Korean students are taught to respect their teachers and to cater to them, whereas in the South, it is the teachers who cater to the students. In addition, there’s more emphasis on rote learning in the North and creative thinking in the South.
Anyway, I spend as much time with the students as possible in the belief that it is the teachers who are responsible for the success of the students. Thankfully, the North Korean students that I help are adjusting very well. I’m very proud of them for being just like the other students in terms of learning.
DNK: You’re probably very adept now as a student coordinator. Do you have any new goals?
Kim: I don’t have any new specific plans as right now I want to focus on helping my students adjust to life in the South. But after having taught in both North and South Korea, I don’t think it’s too far fetched to say that I want to nurture the future leaders who will facilitate reunification, and that I also want to help bring about reunification. In regards to this, I’m not going to stop learning, and I eventually plan on getting both a Master’s degree and a PhD.
DNK: What does reunification mean to you?
Kim: Reunification will not be easy unless everyone has the same goals. Nevertheless, I think it is inevitable, and hopefully, a reunification driven by South Korea will bring about economic prosperity. When that day comes, I want to teach both North and South Korean children alongside each other and convey my experiences living in both countries.
I only wish that at the time of reunification, everyone will have an equal opportunity to learn
regardless of which side they are from. The label that my students hate the most is ‘North Korean refugee’ because it gives the impression that they are not equal to the rest of the students. So when reunification comes, I want to help students understand the importance of not discriminating against each other.
DNK: Your love for your students is very evident. What words of advice do you follow yourself?
Kim: I frequently tell myself to “keep studying” and “remember that knowledge is wealth.” The point really is not to be frugal with money when it comes to learning, and to do my best to achieve each goal that I’ve set. I want to tell myself to continue to learn and not shy away from challenges in order to live a better life.
